User Interface Task Group
Meeting of November 6, 2007

Present: Cindy Todd (Co-chair), Laura Wrubel, Heidi Hanson (notetaker), Janet Evander, Tami Smith (for Susan Wheeler), Sean Henry, Tierney Lyons, Linda Seguin

Topic 1: MetaLib 4.
Laura reported that she and Janet have been working on making the screen designs reviewed by UITG last month functional. They are working towards having enough screens complete and functioning to be able to start usability testing. Janet added that their goal has been to focus on the database and e-journal pages needed for usability testing, leaving My ResearchPort for later. They would like to start usability testing the week of November 12-16 if the test environment is sufficiently prepared.

This is a good time for campuses to consider the names applied to categories and subcategories; for example, the terms "core" and "related". Each campus has its own considerations; for instance, College Park has more than 80 categories – could/should some be consolidated?

Thinking about usability testing: What tasks are students attempting in ResearchPort? And what questions/task scenarios should be included in usability testing? The group reviewed questions used in earlier testing and made suggestions:

• Add a question involving title abbreviations
• Ask them to find "journals in psychology"
• How would you find an article by this author?

Laura and Janet hope to conduct three rounds of usability testing, 2 with students and 1 with faculty. Although they won't be ready to test My ResearchPort in the first round, questions for testing can be prepared now. Later they will also need to evaluate users' responses to cross-search and quick search results.

How should the questions be different for faculty?

• Include a situation with an incomplete citation (e.g., such-and-such author in such-and-such journal sometime in the last few years).
• Laura and Janet hope to have My ResearchPort ready for the faculty to test.
• Get feedback from faculty on the subject on e-journals – do they think this is useful? e.g., is a list of 500 journals in a category actually useful? This could be a follow-up conversation.

Metalib version 4.1 came out this week. Laura will send a follow-up email about the enhancement process for Metalib 4.3 for summer 2008, looking for input by Friday, November 9.

Topic 2. Authorities in the PAC.
Heidi is working on creating a test catalog for authorities in the version 18 test environment. She will be proceeding to design the web PAC screens according to the initial recommendations made by the UITG last year. She will track progress on the Authorities in the catalog page on the UITG wiki.

Topic 3: OPAC Usage Statistics.
Heidi has been reviewing all previous documentation about OPAC usage statistics, including old campus work plan priorities. Any further clarification of what campuses need or want is welcome. Heidi will be updating the status of this item on the USMAI workplan and will notify UITG by email when the update is completed.

Added Topic 3.5: Update on outstanding Rxes.
Heidi briefly reviewed PAC-related Rxes that are in progress (e.g., "preferences" link in "my account"). She will update the UITG wiki to track changes to the PAC as they are made.

Topic 4: UITG Workplan.
UITG members offered suggestion for the group's work plan:

• Add usability testing as a goal
• New functionality in v18 that has not yet been implemented - may need to add specifics
• Add: Participate in development and implementation of new discovery tools
• Goal 1: Metalib – January 2008 implementation; planning for Metalib 4.3 in summer
• Add: Provide support for and advise on resolution of user interface problems Cindy will incorporate the suggested revisions and additions.

Next meeting: Tuesday, December 4, at HSHSL.

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